Born of a desire to see more beer produced by independent brewers in Ireland, Metalman Brewing is the brainchild of beer enthusiasts Gráinne Walsh and Tim Barber, who wanted to see better availability and choice of tasty, authentically Irish beer.
The name of the brewery is inspired by the famous Metal Man navigational aid on the Waterford coast, which was erected in 1823 and stands on one of three pillars overlooking the bay.
The first beer, Metalman Pale Ale, was brewed under contract at the White Gypsy Brewery and launched in March 2011. Production then moved to their own Waterford brewery in May 2012, housed in what used to be an old jute factory just outside the Waterford city centre.
In January 2015, Metalman became the first craft brewery in Ireland to can their beer instead of bottling it. They upgraded the brewhouse but by the end of that year, it was decommissioned and a new larger brewhouse has ensured better efficiency and more products.
All their beers are now available in cans. Their year-round beers include the flagship Metalman Pale Ale, Equinox, Port Lager and Calypso.
Regular seasonals (released around the same time every year) include Moonbeam, a dark beer with a light body; Blaager – brewed with Waterford blaas – and Ironmonger.
They brew something different every month, so check their website for current offerings as well as a list of the pubs and stockists where you can find the beers. You can also catch them at craft beer festivals around Ireland throughout the year, where they’re sure to have something interesting and unusual on offer.
